Moments later, the female ghost led Li Guanqi to an exceptionally thick tree.
The woman pointed to the roots, and Li Guanqi dug up the buried skeleton beneath.
A foul stench assaulted his nostrils, but the young man's expression remained unchanged, his brow only slightly furrowed as he looked at the skeleton below.
Judging from the skeleton, it appeared to belong to a woman in her twenties.
The bones bore a striking resemblance to the woman.
Li Guanqi carefully reburied the skeleton, confirming the truth of the woman's words.
Then, Li Guanqi spoke softly, "If that's the case… do you wish to enter the cycle of reincarnation? I can guide you."
This method of guidance was taught by Li Nanting, all basic spells.
They could be cast by drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and weren't considered particularly powerful spells.
The woman's face showed a hint of hesitation as she murmured, "Immortal Master… may I wait another two days before entering reincarnation?"
Li Guanqi shrugged, not understanding why she would say this, assuming she was reluctant to leave the mortal world and thus did not persuade her further.
He got up and returned to the dilapidated temple, while the female ghost, previously subdued, naturally did not dare to approach the temple.
The next morning, the young man hurried down the mountain with dark circles under his eyes.
However, as Li Guanqi descended, the Sword Spirit from the Sword Box appeared on the mountainside, casting a deep glance at the ethereal figure of the woman, eyes filled with disdain and contempt.
The Sword Spirit's voice also quietly emerged in Li Guanqi's mind.
"There's something off about her."
The young man shrugged, his gaze unflustered.
The Sword Spirit looked deeply at Li Guanqi, momentarily at a loss for what he was thinking.
With a slight frown, she found it unexpected that one day she would be unable to read the thoughts of a young man, and Li Guanqi had no intention of explaining to the Sword Spirit.
With a cold snort, the Sword Spirit returned to the Sword Box.
Li Guanqi smiled faintly, thinking to himself how proud the Sword Spirit was.
Xingyun Town.
As soon as he reached the entrance of the town, Li Guanqi saw a noisy crowd, constantly jostling each other.
Li Guanqi leapt onto a tree branch, sitting there to watch the commotion.
Many in the crowd wore brightly colored clothes, likely dyed with pigments.
In the center of the crowd, an old man in a Taoist robe was surrounded.
Holding a peach wood sword, he scurried with his hands over his head.
"What a fake Taoist! I think you're just a charlatan trying to swindle money!"
"Exactly! We've treated you well for days, and you've done nothing!"
"Hmph! I think he's just here to scam money, we should wait for the Immortal Master from the Great Xia Sword Sect."
The white-browed old Taoist covered his head, wailing, "I've been setting up for three days, that fierce ghost should have appeared last night."
"How was I to know it wouldn't show up! Ouch, not the face!"
Li Guanqi watched the excitement from the tree when suddenly someone pointed at him and said, "Whose child is that, come down!"
"That's our town's sacred tree, how did you get up there!"
The young man was slightly startled, only then noticing the many red strings and wooden plaques hanging from the tree.
Thud, thud!
The noisy crowd quieted down, all eyes turning to the young man with pure white eyes.
The crowd parted, and an elderly man with graying hair stepped forward.
He sized up Li Guanqi and spoke in a probing tone, "Are you an Immortal Master from the Great Xia Sword Sect?"
Li Guanqi produced his Identity Jade Token to confirm his identity.
Immediately, the villagers of Xingyun Town bowed respectfully to the young man.
The leading elder spoke gravely, "I am Gu Yihong, and on behalf of the villagers of Xingyun Town, I pay my respects to the Immortal Master from the Great Xia Sword Sect!"
Everyone bowed sincerely.
This scene deeply moved the young man!
What kind of Sect could command such respect for an ordinary disciple within its jurisdiction!
This was the first time Li Guanqi felt truly proud to be a disciple of the Great Xia Sword Sect!
Li Guanqi donned his Sect attire, straightened his robes, and bowed in return, "Disciple Li Guanqi of Heavenly Thunder Peak of the Great Xia Sword Sect, at your service!"
Gu Yihong, over eighty, with his white hair and haggard appearance, looked even older.
The elder quickly approached the young man, speaking earnestly, "Immortal Master, you must save our Xingyun Town!"
"In just a few days, four people have died!!"
"The entire town is in panic, many claim to have seen ghosts causing mischief."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly, his peripheral vision catching a group of men throwing the yellow-robed old Taoist out.
At first, the old Taoist wanted to curse, but when he saw the young man's eerie eyes, he swallowed his words and scurried away with his belongings.
Noticing the young man's gaze, the elder spoke somewhat awkwardly, "The recent events have spread to the nearby villages."
"This has attracted many charlatans."
"Immortal Master, please come with me to my home, where I can explain the current situation."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly and then walked towards the village chief's house amid the crowd's escort.
The village chief's house was well-off, with a courtyard spanning nearly hundreds of meters.
By this time, the whole town knew that someone from the Great Xia Sword Sect had arrived.
Those who had stayed at home now gathered at the village chief's house.
Including the village chief, there were three elders in the hall, all respected figures in the town.
After brief pleasantries, Li Guanqi took the initiative to ask, "Elder Gu, when I descended the mountain the day before yesterday, the mission mentioned only three deaths, now there are four?"
At his words, everyone's expressions shifted subtly.
After a moment of silence, Gu Yihong spoke softly, "That's right, Wang Ergou from our town died the night before last!"
"His death was horrific!"
Seeing the elder's pale face, Li Guanqi furrowed his brow and asked softly, "How horrific?"
The elder glanced at those beside him, still shaken, and said.
"Perhaps… it's better if I take you to see for yourself."
Li Guanqi rose slowly, agreeing, "That would be best, to understand exactly what's happening."
The group then set off towards the back street.
Along the way, Li Guanqi saw many townspeople, men and women, old and young.
Dye workshops were abundant, though now the entire Xingyun Town was rather desolate, as merchants no longer dared to come after hearing of the haunting.
Soon, under the elder's guidance, Li Guanqi arrived at a somewhat secluded courtyard.
Walking expressionless, Li Guanqi observed the demeanor of everyone in the town.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas